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ITALY, Monza - Lewis Hamilton swept to pole position for the Italian Formula 1 Grand Prix in an all-McLaren front row with team mate Jenson Button lining up alongside him.
It was McLaren's third successive pole, and 23rd of Hamilton's career, and left the duo perfectly placed for a third win in a row after their third one-two in qualifying this season.
Hamilton said: "I think practice was a lot better for me. I didn't think that lap was anywhere near good enough."
CAR WOES FOR ALONSO
Button has finished runner-up at Monza for the past three years in a row but knows only too well that the driver on pole has also ended up the winner in six of the last 10 races there.
Button said: "The last few races have really shown our strength. Qualifying both of us on the front row is great... but even being on the front row it's not going to be an easy race."
Ferrari's Felipe Massa qualified third but team mate and championship leader Fernando Alonso, who has a 24-point lead over Red Bull's champion Sebastian Vettel, could manage only 10th place on the grid for his team's home race.
Massa said: "I think he had a problem. He had a problem on Q3 (the third phase) and was not able to complete his lap."
Paul Di Resta qualified fourth fastest but has a five-place grid penalty due to an unscheduled gearbox change. That meant Michael Schumacher, still adored by the Ferrari fans for his golden past with the team, will start on the second row instead for Mercedes.
Vettel will share the third row with the Mercedes of compatriot Nico Rosberg with former Ferrari champion Kimi Raikkonen seventh for Lotus and alongside Japan's Kamui Kobayashi for Sauber.
'LESS TROUBLE, MORE SPEED'
Force India's Nico Hulkenberg will start last after he failed to set a time in qualifying after slowing and stopping on the escape road next to the first chicane.
His problems allowed Jerome D'Ambrosio, replacing the banned Romain Grosjean at Lotus for one race, to go through to the second phase.
He will start 15th because since Pastor Maldonado, wearing a new helmet with "Less Trouble, More Speed' written on it, has a 10-place grid penalty for jumping the start at the last race in Belgium and causing a collision.
Grosjean was handed his ban at Spa for causing a pile-up that dumped Alonso and Hamilton out at the first corner.
For the first time since 1969, race will have no Italian drivers in it, although the grim economic climate was a more likely explanation for the unusually large numbers of empty seats in the main grandstand.
D'Ambrosio, Massa, Toro Rosso's Australian Daniel Ricciardo and Di Resta all have Italian ancestry, however.
Qualifying times for the Formula 1 Grand Prix:
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1min24.010
2 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min24.133
3 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min24.247
4 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min24.304
5 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes 1min24.540
6 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min24.802
7 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min24.833
8 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min24.855
9 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1min25.109
10 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min25.678
11 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min24.809
12 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min24.820
13 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Sauber 1min24.901
14 Bruno Senna (Brazil) Williams 1min25.042
15 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min25.312
16 Jerome d'Ambrosio (Belgium) Lotus 1min25.408
17 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min25.441
18 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Caterham 1min26.382
19 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham 1min26.887
20 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia 1min27.039
21 Charles Pic (France) Marussia 1min27.073
22 Narain Karthikeyan (India) HRT 1min27.441
23 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT 1min27.629
24 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India
1-10: Third and final qualifying session
11-17: Second qualifying session
18-24: First qualifying session
2012 Italian Grand Prix:
Third practice times
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1min24.578
2 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min24.579
3 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min24.849
4 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min24.909
5 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min24.994
6 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min25.036
7 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Sauber 1min25.160
8 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min25.255
9 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min25.289
10 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min25.383
11 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min25.389
12 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min25.406
13 Bruno Senna (Brazil) Williams 1min25.461
14 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes 1min25.563
15 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1min25.689
16 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min25.706
17 Jerome d'Ambrosio (Belgium) Lotus 1min25.973
18 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min26.003
19 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Caterham 1min26.657
20 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham 1min27.267
21 Charles Pic (France) Marussia 1min27.454
22 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia 1min27.728
23 Narain Karthikeyan (India) HRT 1min28.035
24 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT 1min28.384
Second pratice times
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1min25.290
2 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min25.328
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min25.348
4 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min25.430
5 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min25.446
6 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min25.504
7 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min25.546
8 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min25.547
9 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Sauber 1min26.068
10 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes 1min26.094
11 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min26.104
12 Jerome d'Ambrosio (Belgium) Lotus 1min26.157
13 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min26.394
14 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min26.404
15 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min26.724
16 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1min26.730
17 Bruno Senna (Brazil) Williams 1min26.783
18 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Caterham 1min26.841
19 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min26.864
20 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham 1min27.222
21 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia 1min27.944
22 Charles Pic (France) Marussia 1min27.968
23 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT 1min28.575
24 Narain Karthikeyan (India) HRT 1min28.779
First practice times:
1 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes 1min25.422
2 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min25.723
3 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min25.762
4 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min25.800
5 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min25.861
6 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1min25.944
7 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min26.046
8 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Sauber 1min26.323
9 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min26.390
10 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min26.504
11 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min26.508
12 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min26.518
13 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min26.641
14 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1min26.746
15 Jerome d'Ambrosio (Belgium) Lotus 1min27.180
16 Jules Bianchi (France) Force India 1min27.192
17 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min27.37
18 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min27.789
19 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Caterham 1min27.855
20 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham 1min28.578
21 Charles Pic (France) Marussia 1min28.751
22 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia 1min29.207
23 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT 1min29.331
24 Ma Qinghua (China) HRT 1min31.239
Stay with Wheels24 for the Italian Grand Prix weekend!
It was McLaren's third successive pole, and 23rd of Hamilton's career, and left the duo perfectly placed for a third win in a row after their third one-two in qualifying this season.
Hamilton said: "I think practice was a lot better for me. I didn't think that lap was anywhere near good enough."
CAR WOES FOR ALONSO
Button has finished runner-up at Monza for the past three years in a row but knows only too well that the driver on pole has also ended up the winner in six of the last 10 races there.
Button said: "The last few races have really shown our strength. Qualifying both of us on the front row is great... but even being on the front row it's not going to be an easy race."
Ferrari's Felipe Massa qualified third but team mate and championship leader Fernando Alonso, who has a 24-point lead over Red Bull's champion Sebastian Vettel, could manage only 10th place on the grid for his team's home race.
Massa said: "I think he had a problem. He had a problem on Q3 (the third phase) and was not able to complete his lap."
Paul Di Resta qualified fourth fastest but has a five-place grid penalty due to an unscheduled gearbox change. That meant Michael Schumacher, still adored by the Ferrari fans for his golden past with the team, will start on the second row instead for Mercedes.
Vettel will share the third row with the Mercedes of compatriot Nico Rosberg with former Ferrari champion Kimi Raikkonen seventh for Lotus and alongside Japan's Kamui Kobayashi for Sauber.
'LESS TROUBLE, MORE SPEED'
Force India's Nico Hulkenberg will start last after he failed to set a time in qualifying after slowing and stopping on the escape road next to the first chicane.
His problems allowed Jerome D'Ambrosio, replacing the banned Romain Grosjean at Lotus for one race, to go through to the second phase.
He will start 15th because since Pastor Maldonado, wearing a new helmet with "Less Trouble, More Speed' written on it, has a 10-place grid penalty for jumping the start at the last race in Belgium and causing a collision.
Grosjean was handed his ban at Spa for causing a pile-up that dumped Alonso and Hamilton out at the first corner.
For the first time since 1969, race will have no Italian drivers in it, although the grim economic climate was a more likely explanation for the unusually large numbers of empty seats in the main grandstand.
D'Ambrosio, Massa, Toro Rosso's Australian Daniel Ricciardo and Di Resta all have Italian ancestry, however.
Qualifying times for the Formula 1 Grand Prix:
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1min24.010
2 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min24.133
3 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min24.247
4 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min24.304
5 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes 1min24.540
6 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min24.802
7 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min24.833
8 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min24.855
9 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1min25.109
10 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min25.678
11 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min24.809
12 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min24.820
13 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Sauber 1min24.901
14 Bruno Senna (Brazil) Williams 1min25.042
15 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min25.312
16 Jerome d'Ambrosio (Belgium) Lotus 1min25.408
17 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min25.441
18 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Caterham 1min26.382
19 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham 1min26.887
20 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia 1min27.039
21 Charles Pic (France) Marussia 1min27.073
22 Narain Karthikeyan (India) HRT 1min27.441
23 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT 1min27.629
24 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India
1-10: Third and final qualifying session
11-17: Second qualifying session
18-24: First qualifying session
2012 Italian Grand Prix:
Third practice times
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1min24.578
2 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min24.579
3 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min24.849
4 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min24.909
5 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min24.994
6 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min25.036
7 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Sauber 1min25.160
8 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min25.255
9 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min25.289
10 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min25.383
11 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min25.389
12 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min25.406
13 Bruno Senna (Brazil) Williams 1min25.461
14 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes 1min25.563
15 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1min25.689
16 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min25.706
17 Jerome d'Ambrosio (Belgium) Lotus 1min25.973
18 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min26.003
19 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Caterham 1min26.657
20 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham 1min27.267
21 Charles Pic (France) Marussia 1min27.454
22 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia 1min27.728
23 Narain Karthikeyan (India) HRT 1min28.035
24 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT 1min28.384
Second pratice times
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1min25.290
2 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min25.328
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min25.348
4 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min25.430
5 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min25.446
6 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min25.504
7 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min25.546
8 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min25.547
9 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Sauber 1min26.068
10 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes 1min26.094
11 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min26.104
12 Jerome d'Ambrosio (Belgium) Lotus 1min26.157
13 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min26.394
14 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min26.404
15 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min26.724
16 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1min26.730
17 Bruno Senna (Brazil) Williams 1min26.783
18 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Caterham 1min26.841
19 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min26.864
20 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham 1min27.222
21 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia 1min27.944
22 Charles Pic (France) Marussia 1min27.968
23 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT 1min28.575
24 Narain Karthikeyan (India) HRT 1min28.779
First practice times:
1 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes 1min25.422
2 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min25.723
3 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min25.762
4 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min25.800
5 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min25.861
6 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1min25.944
7 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min26.046
8 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Sauber 1min26.323
9 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min26.390
10 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min26.504
11 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min26.508
12 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min26.518
13 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min26.641
14 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1min26.746
15 Jerome d'Ambrosio (Belgium) Lotus 1min27.180
16 Jules Bianchi (France) Force India 1min27.192
17 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min27.37
18 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min27.789
19 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Caterham 1min27.855
20 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham 1min28.578
21 Charles Pic (France) Marussia 1min28.751
22 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia 1min29.207
23 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT 1min29.331
24 Ma Qinghua (China) HRT 1min31.239
Stay with Wheels24 for the Italian Grand Prix weekend!